construction

Ballston Building Adds ‘Bob Peck’ Historical Marker

By Aaron Kraut

Developers of a new office building in Ballston have added another historical touch to commemorate the old Bob Peck Chevrolet dealership that for decades served as a neighborhood landmark on the same site.

Alexandria-based Bowman Consulting, the landscape architecture firm on developer JBG’s 10-story office building at 800 N. Glebe Road, recently designed and installed a historical marker to honor the dealership’s iconic Googie architecture style.

In January, builders added a diamond-shaped facade to the front of the building to mimic the style. Bob Peck Chevrolet was demolished in 2008.

From the text of the historical marker:

Bob Peck opened his first Chevrolet dealership in 1939 on Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon. In 1964, he moved the dealership west to Ballston to the very prominent corner of North Glebe Road and Wilson Boulevard, 300 feet south of this marker. Taking advantage of the site’s unique location and visibility, local architect Anthony Musolino designed a transparent circular showroom of glass and chrome, with a butterfly roofline whose frieze of diamond-shaped blue panels spelled out “Chevrolet.” The building was an excellent example of Googie architecture, reflecting the era’s prevailing interest in the future — space travel, nuclear energy, rockets — through the use of upward slanting and cantilevered roofs, geometric patterns, acute angles and large sheets of glass.

Musolino’s design evoked thoughts of flight and movement, with its walls of transparent glass and a roof that appeared to float skyward. The transparent showroom was a living billboard. Motorists could see the chrome-trimmed vehicles from the street. Peck Chevrolet became a community icon and a landmark for motorists traveling to and through Arlington. The showroom’s design is represented in the new diamond-shaped frieze of the office building now located at the former Bob Peck site.

 

Photos courtesy Bowman Consulting

Planning to Begin for New Pentagon City Metro Elevator

By ARLnow.com

On Saturday, the Arlington County Board is expected to approve a contract to begin preliminary engineering for a new elevator at the Pentagon City Metro station.

With about 36,000 combined entries and exits per weekday, the Pentagon City station is the second busiest station in Northern Virginia — second only to Rosslyn — and the 10th busiest in the entire Metro system.

A study conducted by WMATA in 2010, at the request of Arlington County, concluded that a new elevator should be built on the west side of S. Hayes Street, near the Pentagon City mall, and across from an existing elevator on the east side of Hayes.

In a report, county staff says a second elevator will help improve access to the station for those with disabilities and for those with strollers and luggage, by eliminating the need to cross S. Hayes Street in order to use an elevator.

“Additionally, it will provide redundancy, in accordance with current WMATA design criteria, when one of the elevators is out of service for any reason,” staff added.

The contract for the initial engineering is worth $358,359, and is scheduled to be voted upon by the Board on Saturday. Once the preliminary engineering is completed, the county plans to proceed with a design-build construction process in order to save time and money.

The budget for the entire project includes $4.5 million in federal funds, $400,000 in state funds and $200,000 county bond funds.

Courthouse Office Building Poised for Demolition

By ARLnow.com

It appears that the 1960s-era Arlington Executive Building in Courthouse (2009 N. 14th Street), home to the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and other tenants, is finally set to be demolished.

While there’s no word on exactly when demolition is expected to begin, we’re told a crane has been sitting in the building’s parking lot for the past couple of weeks, while the Chamber just announced that it is in the process of moving to a temporary office in Ballston.

Replacing the office building will be a new 16-story, 254-unit apartment building called the Tellus. The mixed-use building will also include more than 15,000 square feet of office and retail space. Construction had been set to begin in 2010, but financial difficulties forced it to be delayed.

Over the next couple of days, the Chamber will be moving to a new, temporary office at 4600 Fairfax Drive, Suite 804. The Chamber says it will be closed to the public through Monday, July 16, during the move.

The Chamber plans to move back into the first-floor office space of the Tellus, once it’s completed. That could happen as soon as 2014, the Chamber says.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Building Boom in D.C., Arlington — In 2011, an otherwise slow year for residential construction, Arlington and the District of Columbia captured a disproportionately large portion of local building projects. According to the Washington Post: “… while the District and Arlington County have historically accounted for only about 8 percent of the region’s residential building permits over the past two decades, these two jurisdictions accounted for 36 percent of the building activity in 2011.” [Washington Post]

Moran Horse Slaughter Ban Passes Committee — A bill championed by Rep. Jim Moran (D), which would effectively ban the slaughter of horses for food, has passed the House Appropriations Committee. Moran tried to insert language banning horse slaughter in an agriculture bill last year, but the provision was ultimately removed. [Office of Rep. Jim Moran]

Mid-Week Movie at Westover Library — Looking for a way to beat the heat today? The Westover branch library (1644 N. McKinley Road) will be screening the film Pride as part of its summer mid-week movie series. The series features movies with “sporting themes,” in honor of the Summer Olympics. [Arlington Public Library]

Flickr pool photo by ddimick

New Apartment Building Coming to Buckingham

By ARLnow.com

 

A new apartment building is coming to the Buckingham neighborhood, near Ballston.

Earlier this year, the Dittmar Company demolished an older, existing three-story garden apartment building near the corner of N. Henderson Road and N. Thomas Street. In its place, we’re told the developer is building a new four-story, 66-unit apartment building with underground parking.

The building will have the address of 4301 N. Henderson Road. No word on when the construction is expected to wrap up.

County Launches New ‘Building’ Website

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County has launched a new website for residents and businesses. The site, Building Arlington, is being billed as a “one-stop shop for your Zoning, Permitting, Plan Review, Inspections and Code Enforcement needs.”

Building Arlington is an effort to simplify what the county admits “can be a confusing process.” For those looking to build a house, an addition, a store, or a new commercial building, the site offers the following features:

  • “Simplified design and content in a centralized location to find all Zoning, Inspection Services and Code Enforcement information.”
  • “Information uniquely relevant to our customers; whether you are a resident, business owner, contractor, developer or design professional.”
  • “Accessible on mobile devices from anywhere. Browse permit requirements, schedule inspections and zoning regulations via your smartphone, tablet or other devices.”
  • “Popular project content that explains the process and requirements to start and complete common building projects.”
  • “Resource library & keyword search so you can quickly access forms, applications, checklists and links to topically related resources.”
  • “Question & answer section for ‘commonly asked questions’ about development services.”
  • “Email sign-up for latest news on changes to zoning, codes and regulations.”

Construction on Rosslyn Apartment Tower May Begin This Year

By ARLnow.com

The JBG Companies will ask the Arlington County Board this weekend for permission to change the order of its massive Central Place project in Rosslyn.

The project consists of two 390-foot towers — one office tower, one residential tower — both built across from the Rosslyn Metro station, between N. Lynn Street and N. Moore Street. JBG is asking the Board for the option to build the residential tower first, even though the developer’s original site plan called for the office tower to be built first.

The Board is expected to consider a site plan amendment on Saturday that would transfer the community benefits timed to coincide with the office tower construction — including the construction of a public plaza between the two planned buildings, a $3.5 million contribution for the construction of a new Rosslyn Metro entrance, and $5.4 million to the county’s affordable housing fund — to the timeline for the residential tower’s construction, presuming the residential tower is built before the office tower.

According to a staff report, JBG has yet to decide whether to start construction of the office or the residential tower first. Regardless, the developer plans to start construction on at least one of the buildings by the end of this year.

The project has been delayed because JBG “has encountered difficulties financing the construction of both buildings,” the staff report says.

The Central Place residential tower will consist of 350 apartments and will replace what is currently a McDonald’s restaurant and a small park.

New Apartment Building Coming to Waverly Hills

By ARLnow.com

 

Archstone has broken ground on a new 227-unit apartment building next to the strip mall at the corner of N. Glebe Road and 20th Road N. in Waverly Hills.

Parkland Gardens, as the project is currently known, is billed as a high-end residential community in a “pedestrian-friendly, North Arlington neighborhood.” A press release (after the jump) claims the building will be “in close proximity to the Ballston Metrorail station,” though the station is a mile and a half away.

The building will be four stories high, according to county building permit records. The complex will have a variety of desirable features and amenities, Archstone says.

“The one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment homes and lofts will showcase a host of high-end finishes, including large, open floor plans, nine-foot ceilings, built in book cases, crown molding, European-style kitchen cabinets with glass doors, stainless steel appliances and master bathrooms with double vanities,” according to Archstone. “In addition, residents… will have access to a variety of unique amenities, such as a resort-style pool with a sun deck and private nooks, two courtyards, an outdoor amphitheater with tiered seating and a pet spa.”

The project is being constructed in a large, empty, fenced-in lot just south of the Thirsty Bernie Sports Bar & Grill. No word yet on how much the project will cost or when it’s expected to be complete.

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ZOM Development in Clarendon to Begin Soon

By ARLnow.com

Construction on a new apartment building at 1200 N. Irving Street in Clarendon is expected to begin soon.

Developers ZOM Inc. and USAA Real Estate are planning to begin work on the 187-unit apartment building within the next 30 to 45 days, according to a letter sent to local residents. The developers will be holding a community meeting next Monday, June 11, to discuss the project. The meeting will be held at the Lyon Village Community House (1920 N. Highland Street) at 7:30 p.m.

Representatives from the Lyon Village, Lyon Park, Ashton Heights, Clarendon Courthouse and Ballston-Virginia Square civic associations have all been invited to the meeting, as have local business owners and property owners.

ZOM first bought the site at the corner of Washington Boulevard and N. Irving Street in 2006, but it has remained fallow as the developer struggled to find financing for the project. USAA bought the property in 2011 and is developing it together with ZOM.

The building has been dubbed “The Waverly at Clarendon Station” — though it’s unclear if that name will stick once the project is complete.

Rocky Run Park Revamp Includes Area for Skaters

By Katie Pyzyk

A plan to improve Rocky Run Park — located along N. Barton Street in the Clarendon-Courthouse neighborhood — appears close to moving forward.

One notable aspect of the plan features an area specifically designed for skateboarders. The lower portion of the park is the area aimed at skaters, where special “sculptures” will be installed. The “skateable art” is meant to be functional for skateboarding, as well as visually appealing for other visitors.

Two basketball courts will sit in the middle of the park; they will be striped both for basketball and other sports like volleyball and futbol sala. The courts will be lit at night, as will the adjacent revamped field. The current stone dust field will be redone with a synthetic turf surface.

An existing playground for older (5-12 year old) children will be relocated to the upper end of the park along N. Barton Street, to be next to the tot (2-5 year old) playground. Both will receive some new play equipment.

Additional seating and picnic tables will be installed throughout the park, along with new trash cans, recycling containers and bicycle parking. The plans also include increased accessibility with the construction of Americans with Disabilities Act compliant walkways. During the revamp, grading and drainage will be improved, additional landscaping added, and numerous trees will be planted.

County staff started meeting with residents in the area in 2010 to develop the plan. Funding is coming from pay-as-you-go and park bond funds, as well as Neighborhood Conservation Program funding.

A landscape architect with the Department of Parks and Recreation said the construction documents are 90 percent complete and currently under review. Staff members believe the project will go to bid sometime this summer, and construction will begin in the fall.

Clarendon Metro Plaza Changes Coming Soon

By Katie Pyzyk

A contract worth more than $760,000 to improve the Clarendon Metro Plaza is up for approval at the County Board meeting this Saturday, May 19. The board is scheduled to vote on granting the contract to Fort Myer Construction Corporation.

The revamp involves installing new landscaping, pavers, irrigation, seating, lighting, curbs and gutters. It’s designed to provide a larger public space where community functions, such as the farmers’ market, can be held.

The plaza’s fountain will stay, but will receive upgraded water lines. Additionally, the changes should improve drainage in the plaza.

The ADA-compliant design also includes new sidewalk ramps, a curb extension at the northwest corner of Clarendon Blvd and N. Highland Street and new pedestrian crossings at Clarendon Blvd, N. Highland Street and Wilson Blvd.

The county has been coordinating with WMATA during the planning process. However, the site is, and will remain, county property up to the elevator and escalator landing areas. The Department of Parks and Recreation will continue its maintenance of the plaza.

Construction, which was expected to have begun already, is now anticipated to begin shortly after board approval. It will be completed in phases so pedestrians continue to have access to the Metro escalators and elevators.

Sketches of the proposed changes were released last summer, and can be found with additional details of the plan on the county’s website.

Update on 5/16/12 — Project Manager Tom Hutchings says the county wants to avoid interfering with major events near the plaza this summer. Construction is expected to start after the Air Force Cycling Classic Clarendon Cup on Saturday, June 9. The goal is to have the plaza finished before Clarendon Day at the end of September.

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